Dr Padmaja Kumari

Dr Padmaja Kumari Rani is currently Head-Teleophthalmology for LVPEI network and Vitreoretinal surgeon – Smt Kanuri Santhamma Centre for Vitreoretinal Diseases, L V Prasad Eye Institute. She is currently Adjunct Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Rochester, New York. She completed her basic medical degree from Rangaraya Medical College and her MS (Ophthalmology) from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad. She did a post-doctoral fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases (Fellow of National Board) at Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, followed by a fellowship with the International Council of Ophthalmology in Basic and Clinical Sciences Assessment. She completed FRCS (Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons, Glasgow) in March 2016.

She is an an expert in the management of Diabetic Retinopathy with sixteen years of professional experience after completing the National board-certified fellowship in Vitreo-Retinal diseases.

She was Key Investigator of Sankara Nethralaya Diabetic Retinopathy Epidemiology and Molecular Genetics Study (SNDREAMS) group. She managed a District wide Rural Diabetic Retinopathy Project (Nonmydriatic fundus camera based DR screening model) in LV Prasad Eye institute( LVPEI) (2012-2015). She is currently actively involved in capacity building of Optometrists in Diabetic Retinopathy project in collaboration with the Optometry Council of India and Carl-Zeiss. She has trained over 1000 optometrists and 100 physicians in the screening and referral guidelines of DR across the nation. She is currently in charge of Translating research into clinical and community practice: a multi-centre statistical and economical modelling of risk-based stratified and personalised screening for complications of diabetes in India (SMART India) at LVPEI in collaboration with Professor Sobha Sivaprasad, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. She has 38 peer reviewed publications with strong community, epidemiological and Telemedicine research impact in the area of Diabetic Retinopathy. She has presented several papers, posters and instruction courses related to public health, medical and surgical aspects of DR in national and international conferences.
She is passionate about building and mentoring screening programs for Retinopathy of Prematurity. She is the Key Investigator of Indian Twin Cities Retinopathy of Prematurity Program (ITCROPS) at LVPEI, Hyderabad (2009 Jan – till date). She is Coordinating a neonatal intensive care unit rural ROP screening program at Adilabad District. She has conducted several master classes and workshops for ophthalmologists and paediatricians in the screening and management of ROP in India and Bangladesh.

She has published several peer reviewed publications and presented papers, posters, and Instruction Courses in various International and National conferences. A much-sought after read is the Atlas of Vitreoretinal Diseases, a publication that she authored while working in Sankara Netralaya, Chennai.
Pubmed ID : Rani PK
Publication link of Dr Padmaja Kumari Rani: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1ZW8yxRjr7lwjj/bibliography/public/